A Duke of Her Own

I LOVED this book!! It's exactly the kind of historical romance I look for. Great characters (and chemistry between them). The hero seemed to be a selfish, irresponsible rake, but as we (and the heroine) learned more and more about him, that was not the case at all. Ms. Heath does a fantastic job at creating sexual tension; I especially loved the way the hero would try to fantastize about the rich American girl he needed to marry and was so annoyed because the heroine kept taking her place in his fantasies. I read the first 145 pp before work. I read the rest straight through when I got home. And I wish I hadn't finished it so I could keep reading! This was my first Lorraine Heath book...I'm thrilled to have found her.

Lady Louisa Wentworth, on the shelf at 26 and impoverished in 1888, decides to offer her services to wealthy Americans bringing their daughters to England in search of wedding a title. She is hired by the Rose family to find dukes for their 2 daughters. Hawke, Duke of Hawkhurst, is looking to marry an heiress and wants to have Louisa steer Jenny Rose his way. As a friend of her disreputable brother she knows his reputation and balks. When Hawke gets desperate a scheme to compromise Jenny ends with Louisa being caught. Their attraction to each other and their discovery of each other's true character woven through the story make the situation difficult. well done.

This book was fun and sweet. The secondary characters are equally delightful. The siblings Jenny and Jeremy Rose especially. The romance is worth the wait.

Lousia is a lovely female character. She's admirable and kind hearted. Hawk, although clearly sexy and masculine, is frustrating at times and a hard one to fall in love with. He takes his sweet time to come around to admitting his true feelings and pursue with his heart.

There are so many characters I was left wondering about- Alex, Caroline and the Roses. Hopefully book 2 will continue their stories.

Meh. I just couldn't connect with this one.

looooooved it